Social Science (087) — AI-generated practice question

Neither student is completely right because national development is a multi-dimensional concept — it cannot be reduced to a single goal.

The first student is correct that higher income matters (per capita income is a key measure of development), but income alone is insufficient. As seen in the Haryana–Kerala example, Haryana has higher per capita income yet Kerala performs better on infant mortality and literacy.

The second student is right that equality and security matter, but these too cannot be achieved without economic growth.

This reveals that national development involves multiple, sometimes conflicting goals — income, equality, security, health, and education — and different groups prioritise different goals. A fair path requires balancing all these aspects rather than choosing just one.

Source: National Development, Chapter 1 — Introduction and Income and Other Criteria

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• The examiner expects you to show why both views are partially valid and partially limited — not just describe each view.
• The key textbook idea: "different persons could have different as well as conflicting notions of a country's development" and income alone "does not tell us how income is distributed" or account for quality of life.
• Use the Haryana–Kerala contrast to prove income ≠ full development — this is the textbook's own example and earns marks.
• End by stating the key insight: development is multi-dimensional, which is the core lesson of Chapter 1.